AN: Hey guys, sorry for the couple week delay. I had a couple of personal issues to deal with which kinda killed my motivation to write, but now I am back to cause a ruckus!
Please enjoy :)
The obnoxious buzzing of an alarm pulled Dios out of her slumber, her eyes slowly fluttered open to see the time. Five ten AM, the numbers illuminated, telling her it was time to get ready for her daily run.
Turning off the alarm, she groggily arose from her bed, unable to have a sound sleep for the past several nights was starting to take its toll on her, but missing out on a peaceful morning of exercise was out of the question. Plus, coffee would fix any residual tiredness so Xu and Dr. Kadowaki would not ask too many questions about her state of mind. A goods night sleep had been eluding Dios for one reason and one reason only; Seifer Almasy.
She took off her white night gown and placed it atop her pillow, pacing naked over to her wardrobe to get her running gear; a pair of black and white floral tights and a white crop and tying her hair into a lazy pony tail. Since it was too early for the other residents to be up and about, Dios didn't need to feel too self-conscious about her neck scar. She quickly grabbed a pair of socks and slipped on her white running shoes, now ready for her morning exercise.
As she exited the dormitory she could smell the fresh morning air coming through the hallway windows, helping her slowly shake away her weariness. Coming to the round foyer she stopped at some benches to commence her warm up stretches; placing her left foot up on the seat and leaning forward, touching her toes. As she does this a memory flashes in her mind, of the mornings Seifer would join her in her routine; albeit not very often, he much preferred having extra sleep before his morning combat training than running around the Garden's main foyer to 'warm up' as Dios would tell him. Dios remembered those times he joined her fondly, even though he would always make fun of her, or 'take the piss' as he would say, for doing the stretches prior to running, saying only babies like Chicken-Wuss needed to stretch.
Smiling, Dios continued her stretching exercises before taking off in a light jog around the circular foyer, the sound of its moat peacefully flowing in the background, pleasing her senses. The lone run was always a good opportunity to think about things, whether it was new medical information from Dr. Kadowaki or Dios' own personal issues; a good run was always a good time to ponder on them some more. She had been spending the past few mornings wondering what she was going to say when she finally saw Seifer again, playing both positive and negative scenarios in her head, the most common of them all was him completely ignoring her advances and that possibility scared the hell out of her. She had already decided their friendship was more important than the rumors; plus the trial had proved that he was under a manipulation spell; there was no reason to think he had been a willing antagonist, but it still stuck at the back of her thoughts.
The first lap over, Dios began to quicken her pace, the subject of Seifer's arrival still deep in the crevices of her mind. She was also impeccably worried about her best friend's mental state; from Dr. Odine's testimony it looked like Seifer was suffering major side effects from Ultimecia's control over him. Would he be well enough to continue his studies at Garden? Had he been eating well? Had he been keeping himself hydrated? Had he been sleeping well?
She was broken out of her train of thought by the sounds of footsteps, several different sets echoing throughout the foyer. Her heart sank, gripping her neck as she ran closer to the source of the intrusion; it was too early in the morning to put up with students commenting on her scar. Just as she passed the hallway that lead to the infirmary she heard the ding of the elevator in the middle of the foyer which piqued her curiosity. Normally the only person who would use the elevator this early in the morning is Headmaster Cid heading up to his office to get a head start on his paperwork.
That would mean…
Dios' suspicions were confirmed as she reached the staircase at the past of the elevator and stopped, looking into the illuminated glass and seeing his silhouette, taller than all the others she saw.
"Seifer." She puffed, watching as his form shuffled slightly before the glass elevator disappeared into the upper levels. Her adrenaline peaked at this moment and her hands began trembling. Seifer was back and she would see him as soon as today, but when? Where?
She fell to her knees, filled with tremors, remembering the feelings of anguish when Fujin and Raijin came back to Garden empty handed instead of a smug Seifer in tow, and they told her that the Galbadian government had sentenced him to death for attacking their president. Dios was completely beside herself, inconsolable as Fujin gently rocked the sobbing mess in front of them. It was a feeling she was glad she never had to experience again when she found out he was still alive, but those feelings were replaced with shock and anger when Squall had told her that he was with the sorceress. All those emotions washed away once the trial began and she saw the truth.
But his homecoming was now a reality, he is home to prove himself to the world and she would help him, if he would let her.
Finally regaining her composure, Dios stood and restarted her run, mind cleared of doubts, focusing on the inevitable; they were going to meet sooner rather than later.
At breakfast Dios could see that Xu was less than impressed receiving the information that Seifer had arrived earlier that morning, every so often she would glance in the direction of their weary comrades who were battling to stay awake after their lengthy travel. The two decided to leave them be for the time being as they all silently sipped away at their coffees.
"And Cid has locked everyone out from his office today." Xu grumbled, "Have you seen him yet?"
"No I haven't. I still find it quite funny that Headmaster Cid spoke to you first out of all people. Even better was the stern warning about going anywhere near his office." Dios sniggered as she bit into her toast. Just before breakfast Cid had visited Xu in her apartment telling her, quite firmly, not to go to the third floor. Letting her know that even if she tried, her key card would not work; he had disabled all access to personnel apart from himself and the SeeD Commander Squall, and he knew that Xu would attempt to force the young Commander in taking her up there to berate the fallen Knight.
"I would not waste my time with that waste of space." She responded sternly, "And I still can't believe that you still want to be friends with him! What are you thinking?" Dios stopped mid chew and studied Xu's features, frustration was evident by the look in her chocolate eyes and her plump lips were tightly pursed together. She was slightly offended that her elder had the audacity to make such comments in front of her, but that was Xu, extremely outspoken. Dios put down her toast, swallowing hard.
"At the end of the day Xu, he is still my friend. And I would be dead right now if he wasn't in that exam. I know it, you know it, hell, and even Quistis knows it!" She saw Xu's look soften ever so slightly, remembering the SeeD exam that ended up being a rescue mission; Dios continued, "Can you just try and cut him some slack? If the six tired as hell people over there can attest to his innocence, then surely you can try to forgive him as well?" She gestured over to the exhausted forms of Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, Irvine and Quistis on the other side of the cafeteria, "Our Headmaster and our Commander have let him come back. Trust their judgement."
Xu had no response; she hoped that meant she was finally getting through to her. Seifer needed this chance and the less resistance he had from the residents of Garden the better.
Dios could see that Xu was thinking intently, she was staring down into her quickly cooling coffee. Hoping that was a good sign, she continued eating her meal, awaiting the black haired SeeD's response.
But she would have to wait for that, the two were spotted by a tired looking Cid who made a beeline towards them from the entrance of the cafeteria. Both women hurriedly stood, saluting their Headmaster who greeted them affectionately.
"At ease ladies, I hope that you two have had a lovely morning. Miss Leigh, I would like to have a word with you in private, if I may." Dios was perplexed with his request, was it about Seifer's return?
"Sir, may I ask why?" His jolly expression suddenly turned serious at her query.
"It is about our new arrival. I would much prefer for us to chat in private than-" He paused for a moment, making emphasis on the seriousness of his request by leaning in close to whisper in her ear, "-have any gossips spread any more rumors about our dear Mr. Almasy." She understood completely, nodding as he pulled away. "Very good! Please come see me in my quarters as soon as you have finished your breakfast." He clasped his hands together, smiling at the two women. "Now, Xu behave yourself today." He bid them a farewell before leaving, also waving at the SeeDs that noticed his presence.
When Dios turned to Xu her cheeks were bright pink with embarrassment.
"He didn't have to tell me to behave you know…" She grumbled before sitting back down to enjoy the rest of her meal. Dios Followed suit, "I wonder what he wants to talk to you about."
"I don't know." Dios frowned, taking the final bite of her toast, swallowing hard. "I hope it's nothing bad. I hope Seifer is doing okay."
"If anything, you're probably going to babysit him!" Xu joked, but it made Dios think. Was there something wrong? Sure, the two are very good friends, but wouldn't the public think there is some sort of bias towards him if she was closely involved?
"I suppose I just have to go and find out, hey?" She sculled the rest of her coffee in nervous anticipation. "I better not keep the Headmaster waiting. I'll talk to you later." Bidding a quick farewell to Xu, she hurried out of the Cafeteria to go and meet Cid.
Dios took in a deep breath as she approached Headmaster Cid's apartment door. It opened just as she raised her hand to knock to reveal the motherly form of his beautiful wife, Edea. It was almost if she knew she was there.
"Welcome Miss Leigh, please come in and have a seat." As she stepped in she noticed that Cid's accommodation was a hundred times homier than the students and SeeD's quarters. The white walls were adorned with hand painted portraits, a beautiful, plush chocolate coloured carpet covered the floor and there was exquisite antique furniture scattered around with the two couches in the middle upholstered with crimson velvet. From what she could see, there were doors that lead off into other rooms, but they were closed.
"Cid will be here momentarily." Dios smiled at Edea, obliging her earlier request to have a seat with a meek 'thank you'. Edea sat across from her, still smiling warmly at the younger woman, the loving vibe she felt from her reminded her of someone, but she couldn't put her finger on who.
The two sat in a peaceful silence for a short while until one of the doors opened, revealing a fresher looking Cid.
"Well, Dios Leigh! You are certainly eager to have a chat, aren't you?" He laughed heartily, sitting next to Edea; Dios could see how much he adored the woman next to him.
"Well sir." She began, "It concerns Seifer. I will be honest with you; him coming back has been pretty much the only thing on my mind since the trial ended." Cid nodded in response, his wire spectacles glistening in the light as he adjusted his clean set of clothing slightly.
"And what have you been thinking about, Dios?" He didn't take his expectant gaze off of her as she shuffled nervously in her seat, thinking about how to phrase the last weeks worth of thoughts. "Well… He needs a friend; he needs me, doesn't he? He's not well."
"Precisely." Answered Edea, "One thing we ask is that you prepare yourself for when you see him as he has lost a lot of weight. He hasn't noticed the physical changes this whole thing has caused, but we have and, personally, it scares us." Dios could see the look of sadness in her golden eyes. From what she understood, Edea raised Seifer in an orphanage off the Centra coast along with Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Zell and Squall. Which meant Seifer's struggle was hitting her quite hard.
"He has lost a lot of strength, which is why I have put his Hyperion under the care of Squall under the guise of him having to earn it back. Are you happy with being a part of the team I am putting together to assist him? I am sure he will need the support only you could give."
Dios felt immense sadness from their words. She knew that he was suffering, but hearing it first hand made it much harder to deal with than before. She felt herself choking up a little before she could speak again.
"He has been my best friend for as long as I can remember, sir. I would be honoured if you would allow me to be a part of your team." The couple turned to each other smiling momentarily before turning back to Dios so she could speak again, "My only concern is that people may think I am biased towards him. Is that going to be an issue?"
"Of course not!" Cid chuckled, "I would not have asked you if I had felt that way. Like I said, he needs you to be there for him, whether he acknowledges it or not." As long as Cid was fine with it, Dios supposed, she would have no worries about helping him. That thought relived her; she hoped that meant when they met again things would go smoothly.
"Is there anything else sir?"
"That is all for now Miss Leigh, you are dismissed." The three stood and Dios saluted her elders before they escorted her to the door. "By the way Miss Leigh, we will see you later on in the Infirmary." Her eyes widened as her very being filled with sudden anxiety. The thought of meeting him again so soon gave her unwanted surprise as she reached up to nervously grab at her scar. She then felt a soft hand on her back, Edea was right behind her to settle her down.
"Everything will be fine Miss Leigh." She spoke confidently, "You two are best friends after all." Edea was right, there should be nothing to worry about, but the nervous anticipation still lingered.
"Y-you're right Mrs. Kramer. I'm sure I will be fine, thank you." And with that, she bid the two good bye and continued on with her day, quickly stopping by her dorm room to change into a sleeveless black turtleneck and her white long coat.
It was late afternoon by the time anything eventful happened at the Infirmary, a group of five small children had clambered in with their screeching friend who had fallen quite hard whilst running in the foyer and landed on the steps, smashing their nose on impact to create a fountain of blood. The kid was lucky she didn't break her nose. The others watched as Dios cleaned up the shell shocked child of all evidence of foul play except for a large bandage covering their bruised nose. And as she always does, she kissed the bandage to make the young girl smile. She pulled away, taking her bloodied coat off, throwing it over her shoulder and crossed her arms, scowling at all the children in the room. It was now time for the lecture.
"How many times do I have to tell you lot to stop running in the hallways? One day someone is going to break a bone and I will be flogging that kid off to Dr. Kadowaki!" The uninjured ones giggled, fleeing through the curtain before Dios could say another word, the girl left in the cot shocked that her friends would bail on her. But Dios wouldn't have it; she was going to tell them off good.
As she ripped open the curtain, she expected to see the fleeing children. Opening her mouth to yell, she stopped as she saw three men in the doorway, her heart stopped as she met the gaze of her best friend at the very front, barely a few meters from her.
Her mind went completely blank as her eyes examined every inch of ex-Knight; Cid and Edea weren't lying when they told her how much he had changed, he was a shell of the man he once was. His signature trench coat and vest looked baggy on him and he looked completely exhausted. Her worst fears about him had come true and she had to fight back the sobs threatening to come out.
She didn't know what to say, what to do, not even noticing as her coat fell to the floor with a soft thud. There was no hostility in Seifer's gaze, she could see even he was unsure about what to say, it was the first time in just over a year that they had seen each other with no contact.
It was now or never, she had to somehow tell him that she will be there for him.
With a large gulp to stop the lump forming in her throat, she slowly shuffled towards him without breaking eye contact, and extended her arms out to slide them under his trench coat and embrace him in a tight hug. Dios placed her cheek on his chest, feeling deep sorrow as she realized how skinny he really was with her arms around him. She couldn't help it anymore and let the tears fall as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his head into her hair. She sobbed loudly which caused him to embrace her tighter. Seifer was home, finally home and she was going to help him become his old self again.
"This is fine." She clutched a bunch of the vest fabric, sobbing again into him, "Having you back is perfectly fine." As she finished speaking, the flood gates opened and she couldn't help herself any more as she cried loudly, burying her face completely into his chest.
Dios felt Seifer's hand softly caress her back in attempt to get her to calm down, "Shh, It's okay. I'm back." He whispered to her. She was so relieved that he wanted his best friend to still be by her side. When she was finally able to settle a little she pulled away from him, still slightly sniffling and looking a right mess with the tears still flowing. She smiled at him warmly; it was time to say a proper welcome.
"You're home." She watched him reciprocate with a smile of his own, reaching down to wipe away her tears with his gloved thumb.
"Yeah. I'm home."